“Comments are unverified and prejudicial”

PARAMARIBO/NEW YORK- The government of Suriname has strongly condemned the report of Diego Garcia-Sayan, the United Nation’s special rapporteur on judicial independence at the 72nd UN General Assembly in New York. In his report the special rapporteur makes accusations against the government and the Parliament with regards to the December 8 trial and the obstacles that the judiciary faces in its attempts to handle the trial independently.

Suriname’s Foreign Affairs (Buza) Minister Yldiz Pollack-Beighle rejected the report and questioned the integrity of Garcia-Sayan as she addressed world leaders and representatives of global organizations.

“It is with grave concern that Suriname was informed of the unverified and prejudicial comments that were published by the UN special rapporteur about the independence of lawyers and judges,” said Minister Pollack-Beighle after having given a brief history of the amended Amnesty Act and the reasons behind it. “That is why Suriname categorically rejects the statements of the special procedure mandate holder who did not give the government the opportunity to respond to the report,” said Minister Pollack-Beighle who referred to several cases including the Middle East where foreign intervention and interference has done more harm than good. The Interior War that raged in Suriname in the eighties was also referred to as foreign interference. “Suriname knows the meaning of intervention and the only way we handled it was to insist on dialogue which resulted in the signing of the Peace agreement in May 1992. So if we in the world say that we must stick to principles of non-interference and non-intervention under all circumstances then we speak from experience,” said the minister who made it clear that the amendment of the Amnesty Act in 2012 was another step to further guaranteeing peace in Suriname.